Well, that was ambitious. Volkswagen recently announced a major doctrinal shift in how frequently it will update its model lines. New generations of models will now arrive every five years instead of seven, a change that will bring improvements to customers much faster than before. In addition, models will receive a cosmetic redesign three years after every generational change. The total effect will be a more frequently updated lineup of vehicles.
In addition, Volkswagen will invest $7 billion in vehicle design and production in the U.S. in the next four years. We know of at least one new model that will be produced soon in the U.S., a seven-seat, full-size SUV that will launch in 2016. If the rest of the industry is any indication, this SUV will likely be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
Across the larger VW Group, the company is looking to trim from among its 300+ model family. An acceleration of vehicle updates is a bold move as it commits the company to ongoing research and development for every model on a fixed schedule. However, more frequent updates could also stimulate demand and provide a greater return on investment for research. It could be that Volkswagen realized they’re already invested enough in R&D that they should take greater advantage of their findings.
With the MQB platform, Volkswagen has been able to streamline vehicle frames onto a single, flexible frame. This frame can be applied to multiple model lines, thereby eliminating one element of development costs. A nice complement to this would be if Volkswagen would develop a similarly flexible engine that could be applied to its vehicle lineup, much as several other automakers are doing. These efficiencies could free up R&D monies for areas like technology and user interface.
For now, Volkswagen is taking a step closer to the frequently updating worlds of smartphones and movie franchises. “New!” has always been a good selling point, so we’re glad to see benefits for consumers arriving with greater speed. When it comes to Volkswagens for sale in Raleigh, think Leith Volkswagen and stop by.
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